Top Foundation Funders

1. NoVo Foundation $12.4 M
2. New Israel Fund $12.0 M
3. Foundation to Promote Open Society $10.0 M
4. European Endowment for Democracy $5.9 M
5. Ford Foundation $4.9 M
6. Sigrid Rausing Trust $3.6 M
7. Klarman Family Foundation $2.8 M
8. Comic Relief $2.7 M
9. African Women's Development Fund $2.5 M
10. Hivos $2.1 M
11. Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders $2.1 M
12. Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation $2.0 M
13. Moriah Fund $1.7 M
14. Shapiro-Silverberg Foundation $1.7 M
15. Global Fund for Women $1.5 M
16. Rockefeller Brothers Fund $1.3 M
17. UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women $1.2 M
18. Humanity United $1.2 M
19. Walter and Elise Haas Fund $1.2 M
20. Chicago Community Trust $1.1 M
21. Carnegie Corporation of New York $900.0 K
22. Nathan Cummings Foundation $885.0 K
23. Oak Foundation $700.0 K
24. Wellspring Philanthropic Fund $675.0 K
25. Kendeda Fund $575.0 K
26. M = Millions

Foundation Funding by Issue

• Equality Rights and Freedom from Discrimination

  $24,655,160 (28%)
  197 Grants (21%)

• Human Rights, General

  $20,339,274 (23%)
  170 Grants (18%)

• Freedom from Violence

  $8,990,185 (10%)
  87 Grants (9%)

• Transitional Justice and Peacebuilding

  $7,394,782 (8%)
  132 Grants (14%)

• Education, Religion, and Culture

  $5,043,271 (6%)
  45 Grants (5%)

• Migration and Displacement

  $4,111,873 (5%)
  91 Grants (10%)

• Expression and Information Rights

  $3,767,594 (4%)
  69 Grants (7%)

• Sexual and Reproductive Rights

  $3,690,228 (4%)
  19 Grants (2%)

• Access to Justice/Equality Before the Law

  $3,179,937 (4%)
  38 Grants (4%)

• Economic and Labor Rights

  $3,040,489 (3%)
  21 Grants (2%)

• Health and Well-being Rights

  $2,054,903 (2%)
  25 Grants (3%)

• Environmental and Resource Rights

  $1,077,239 (1%)
  25 Grants (3%)

• Civic and Political Participation

  $746,743 (1%)
  14 Grants (2%)

Issue totals include foundation funding that could be identified as meant to address a specific issue. In order to provide unique totals and avoid double-counting, each foundation grant has been assigned to exactly one issue category within the human rights taxonomy.

Foundation Funding by Population

• Women & Girls

  $29,953,657 (34%)
  299 Grants (32%)

• Migrants & Refugees

  $15,187,470 (17%)
  114 Grants (12%)

• Children & Youth

  $12,322,879 (14%)
  93 Grants (10%)

• Indigenous Peoples

  $4,343,652 (5%)
  13 Grants (1%)

• Human Rights Defenders

  $2,831,599 (3%)
  166 Grants (18%)

• LGBTQI

  $2,467,080 (3%)
  43 Grants (5%)

• People with Disabilities

  $1,056,342 (1%)
  14 Grants (2%)

Population totals include foundation funding that could be identified as meant to benefit a specific group. Grants may serve multiple populations and would therefore be counted in more than one category.

Foundation Funding by Strategy

• Advocacy, Systems Reform and Implementation

  $49,133,226 (56%)
  424 Grants (45%)

• Capacity-building and Technical Assistance

  $19,956,573 (23%)
  78 Grants (8%)

• Coalition-building and Collaboration

  $15,794,414 (18%)
  71 Grants (8%)

• Grassroots Organizing

  $5,749,385 (7%)
  26 Grants (3%)

• Media and Technology

  $5,368,249 (6%)
  97 Grants (10%)

• Research and Documentation

  $3,550,068 (4%)
  44 Grants (5%)

• Arts and Culture

  $3,251,907 (4%)
  32 Grants (3%)

• Litigation and Legal Aid

  $2,593,431 (3%)
  37 Grants (4%)

• Security and Resilience

  $232,994 (0%)
  6 Grants (1%)

• Scholarships and Travel

  $129,590 (0%)
  23 Grants (2%)

Strategy totals include foundation funding that could be identified as supporting a specific strategy. Grants may employ multiple strategies and would therefore be counted in more than one category.

Related Resources

• Funding at the Intersection of Governance and Sustainable Development to Achieve Human Rights
• Transitional Human Rights Work in Syria: A Pilot Initiative Embedding Human Rights Norms in Nascent Governance Structures